Shak

Wasn't he really good against Leeds during the week?

It'll be very interesting to see where Maddison will play in our team if we do get him. We're clearly interested and have been for a long while so Eddie must have a plan. I wouldn't be shocked if he's being eyed up to play quite a bit on the left of the front three. Think he'd be incredibly dangerous there, cutting inside onto his stronger foot. Have to think he'd put Isak in on goal a lot and I could see him linking up with Willock very well with Willock in that LCM position. I reckon he'd play as the most advanced of the midfield three quite a bit, especially in home games against teams that we expect to sit back, but I do think in out current system he'd be probably best suited to playing on the left. Reckon we could sell Maxi and get Maddison without much of a net loss and I don't think I could argue with that as a piece of business. Funnily enough he has similar injury concerns but I do think he'd offer a lot more in terms of a final ball in the final third, something we sorely lack in our squad and are going to need more and more as teams set up negatively against us.

It's a good post but what a relentlessly tedious reply There's a very good debate to be had about ASM's future. Given his injury issues this season and unnatural fit with the way Eddie Howe wants his team to play, if people honestly can't see why cashing in and getting a player who's a better fit for the way we play has some merit then I don't know what to tell them. Equally, given his incredible ability and very clear attempts this season to change his game to fit in with what we do, if anyone can't see the arguement for keeping him another year and seeing if another year in our strength and conditioning program and tactical system on the pitch results in a big leap forward for him than I don't know what to tell them either. Will ultimately just come down to how much Eddie and Allan fancy it IMO.

Aye, this is basically where I am. When you're a shite team going nowhere you desperately cling to players like ASM or Ben Arfa as they're players who are a joy to watch in a team that offers little in that regard. We're not that anymore. It's succulent football all the way for us now, lads. We're going to have a team loaded with players who can do absolutely insane things with a football and won't have the question marks ASM has against him. Not a priority move to make IMO but I can see us trying to cash in now if he's not in the long term plans.

Maybe, but you do wonder if at some point there'll be players who'll look at the way that Chelsea are doing business and think that maybe it's not the best career move? Like, maybe Mudryk is still absolutely delighted with the few million extra he has but I suspect a large part of him really wishes he'd gone to Arsenal. I guess ultimately it's their job and they want to maximise their earnings and Chelsea will probably offer him more in terms of wages but I wouldn't rule us out personally.

Have spent an inordinate amount of time today trying to figure out if he'll be better long term in the middle or on the left of a front three. Call me Natalie Imbruglia on this one, folks, because right now I'm torn. I genuinely feel he'll be absolutely incredible in either role but you can't help but want to see him running at full backs more often after those absolutely disgraceful scenes that he bent us over and forced us to watch last night. There were some reports recently that we like Osimhen. Not the first time we've seen him mentioned either, was on the radar a little last summer. If we were to move ASM on and bring in Osimhen (or another absolute beast of a CF) in... I mean, who doesn't want to watch that? Would also be really good for our squad versatility having him primarily on the left but able to play CF when needed.

Such a blatant Thierry Henry regen, this fella

Not sure if this shithousing is the best idea like, gonna unite the crowd against us rather than their own team.

Why does Owen have that job? He's a shite analyst, has no personality and nobody likes him. There must be someone better?

He has. Doesn't change that we should be looking to improve the position.

Aye, he's been fairly shite. Do think a RW is every bit as big a need as LB or CM this summer. Miggy had a quality purple patch and Murphy is proving a quality squad option but both are quite limited.

Was clearly a typo that was meant to say 'ref'

Aye, ball just bouncing off him every time he gets near it.

This looks quite bad?

No big reaction from Spurs then Obviously it's ideal that they'd get something in that game but if they are going to lose another absolute bumming would be kind of funny.

Fucking goal. Started with a real bit of quality from Wilson there, fucking quality CF play.

None of the front three have been able to make the ball stick at all.

Almiron has been particularly gash.

Not a great start, need to settle and quiet the crowd. Biggest drop off from Isak to Wilson is in terms of what they offer as an outlet ball IMO, just don't fancy Wilson to make it stick like I do with Isak.

Rip these cunts' tits off!!

Probably a bit harsh. They'd finished between 3rd and 6th for six straight years before Abramovich got there and had won three domestic cups in that span as well as a Cup Winner's Cup.

Heroically limps on while blatantly injured and gets the pass away to take advantage of the promising position and just gets shat on for not playing a better pass

Can sense the absolute annoyance in this post.

One of our targets this summer should absolutely be a top class CB prospect that we view as the long term partner for Botman. Hopefully Ashworth has his eye on someone, there was a link to that young Croatian lad who's apparently highly sought after so I suspect there will be someone brought in. Ideally though we would keep Lascelles and there'd be no pressure on that youngster to be involved right away. If he is quality straight away all the better but you don't want to throw an unprepared young lad in too soon and knock his confidence. Similar to how we'll probably keep Krafth next year and give Ashby more time to get up to speed. Then when Lascelles and Krafth's deals are up in 2024 you let them move on and Ashby and the new CB are ready to step in. Maybe the club would like to make a return on Lascelles though rather than let him walk for nothing a year later? Anyway, I have a sneaking suspicion that if Lascelles has to play at some point he'll be really good. Why should he be any different to everyone else that Howe gets his hands on?

Don't love the fact that the Broncos have also been shite ever since that game, mind you Was thinking earlier, don't think it's just because they've little in the way of draft picks that I'm not arsed about the draft this year. Having Newcastle back as a team I can actually get excited about is fucking wild and it's completely taken over my free time sporting pursuits.